These container garden favorites have tubers that look like sweet potatoes from the store.
But that doesnt mean they taste the same.
Both of these plants produce thick, root-like tubers underground.
Credit:Kelli Jo Emanuel
If you dig up the chartreuse-leaved ornamental variety Marguerite, youll see it has small, round tubers.
And dark-leaved Blackie usually has longer, narrower tubers.
While you cancook and eat these sweet potatoes, you might not necessarily enjoy them on your dinner plate.
Kelli Jo Emanuel
Are tubers from ornamental sweet potato vines edible?
If you wantsweet potatoes to eat, the tubers from your ornamental sweet potato vines are indeed edible.
However, youre better off choosing a variety specifically developed as a food crop.
Instead, give the showy leaves of your ornamental sweet potatoes a try.
Theyre full of vitamins and antioxidants, plus theyre a good source of fiber.
Test Garden Tip:Avoid using pesticides on or around the plants if you want to eat them.
Credit:BHG / Kelli Jo Emanuel
you’ve got the option to store them like bulbs andplant them in containersthe following spring.
After youve cleaned out your containers for the season, rinse off the tubers and let them dry completely.
Then keep them in a cool place (like a basement) throughout the winter.
Once temperatures stay above freezing in spring, plant your tubers inmoist potting mix in your containers.
They should sprout in a week or two.
Leave it in a warm, sunny spot.
It will send out roots and stems within two weeks.
Wait another 1-2 weeks for them to root, then theyll be ready to plant.
This works for edible sweet potatoes as well.
